You are juggling your work, family, interests, friends and so much more.  How do you look after yourself well and still manage to get the things you need done?

Within these few paragraphs you will find some tips to help you achieve your healthy eating goals.

BASICS - Fruit, vegies and protein foods

How do you get your required 7 cups of vegies in a day?

One veg can = 4 cups

Certainly don't think you have to have 7 different vegies. 
Saute some finely chopped cabbage in olive oil and a little salt, just long enough to make it tender.  This will give you 4 cups of your vegies per person, using a quarter cabbage each.  Add this to a small protein serve such as lean savoury mince.


My favourite

Green smoothies are a great way to get your fruit and vegies into high gear.  To 250ml water, add one apple, one small zucchini, 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado, handful of organic baby spinach, 3 dates with stones removed, one frozen banana (freeze in pieces), 1/2 teaspoon organic turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon good quality magnesium powder like Orthoplex Mag Opticell.  Blend in a good blender for 39 seconds - delicious!

High energy kids

Have healthy bread in the house all the time to top with organic peanut butter or Niulife coconut spread or toasted with a drizzle of light olive oil.  Recommended breads from your health food store are - Ancient Grains Sour Dough Oat Bread (kids love this soft bread) or same brand in Rye, Spelt or Wholemeal (if not intolerant).  A reasonably healthy bread from the supermarket is Heavy Wholemeal Organic Bread - look for the word 'Heavy' on the yellow label.

Lunchtime tips

Look for a salad option every time.  At a price, you can even get a salad at McDonalds.  Sumo Salad provide mostly good salads in many shopping centres.  Best to choose the ones with chicken as some vegetarian versions are too heavy in vinegar.  New salad bars can be found in shopping areas, such as the new food court in Pacific Fair Shopping Centre.  The best option is if you can make your own salad to take to work; with a couple of boiled eggs or tinned tuna or turkey slices from the supermarket deli.

Reply to this blog post with your tips, suggestions or even questions related to food, diet and health.

Wishing you a wonderful 2016!!!!    Romi

Are you running on 'short battery life'?  Only get through half a day and then feeling like you need a nap, a coffee or a sugar hit?
Too tired to think straight?
Unenthusiastic?
Unmotivated?
Feeling really flat?

What if you have been under long term stress, or even just been really busy?
Your adrenal glands (which sit on top of each kidney) have to pump out more stress hormones than normal.
It can be something as simple as a bad nights sleep that affects the adrenals but the normal stress of daily life can also drain the adrenals and thus your energy levels.

I often perform a simple medical test on people with fatigue, low energy, stress, worry or insomnia.  This is something I learnt as a student nurse over 30 years ago.
The systolic reading on a blood pressure reading should go up by 5 points from a sitting (or lying) position and then repeated in a standing position.
So if your blood pressure was 120 over 80 while sitting relaxed, it should go up to 125 if taken immediately when you stand up.  This shows that the adrenal glands have sent out a little adrenalin and/or cortisol to adjust for the change in position of your body.
If there is no rise in blood pressure, your adrenals have not sent the right messenger chemicals to the rest of your body and are not functioning optimally - tired.
If there is a drop in blood pressure, your adrenals are certainly not functioning properly - fatigue or even exhaustion.

A health practitioner familiar with this test should be the one to perform it and give an accurate interpretation of the results.  There is a lot you can do to restore adrenal function and get back your zest for life, your energy and the sparkle in your eye once again.  Never give up - Romi 0421218469

Why might you be unhappy?  Do you suffer pain, ill health, unrewarding relationships or the weather got you down?

Just stop a moment and focus on your thoughts.  Are you running negative ideas around and around in your head?  What about simply congratulating yourself for being aware of these thoughts.  It takes effort and some skill to catch yourself in the midst of a downword spiral of negative thinking. 

Once you have given yourself a 'pat on the back' for recognising that these thoughts were ruining your day, week, life, you can tell yourself that enough is enough.  It all stops now.  Affirm to yourself that there are things that are going well.  Get help for anything that needs attention such as painful body areas (see my Pain Clinic tabs to the left), issues of ill health (see the tabs on Feedback, Food Allergy or Live Blood), relationship problems or anything else that is bothering you.

Taking action is the way out of a rut or your unwanted emotional state.  Someone else may have found solutions to the problems you are facing. 

Don't feel you have to handle it all alone.  After 30 years in clinical practice, I am likely to have the solutions you are looking for.  I guarantee you professional care that is focused solely on your needs.  If you would like to chat to make sure I am the best practitioner for you, simply give me a call first.

After a few weeks enjoying delicious green smoothies in my Optimum 9400 blender, I have to say my energy levels have never been better.

Did you know that the latest recommendation is for us to eat 9 cups of vegetables a day.....a day!!  To cope with our busy lives, modern stresses on our body and modern farming methods, we need to up our intake of vitamins and minerals just to cope.

This is where a great blender comes in.

Every morning, I blend up one and a half cups of water with some rice protein powder (ThermoPhase Detox Essentials with Milk Thistle to regenerate my liver - I can order this for you), one roughly chopped zucchini, an apple and half an avocado.  Add a banana if not on a weight loss plan.  Makes enough for breakfast and morning tea, or lunch if not hungry earlier.

You can buy a great blender from me and enjoy the current SPECIAL PRICE - ends soon - click on the blender graphic below to order your new blender or juicer....

Life can take some unusual turns and at times we find ourselves emotionally bowled over.
Even knocked down completely!
How do you get through these difficult times?

What if you feel so emotionally overwhelmed you can't breath, you feel sick and nothing seems to ease the pain?

You might be told to breath deeply and this is good advice but it often isn't enough.  For a moment you know that you will be ok, but then those feelings engulf you again and there is nothing but despair.

There are some very effective herbal remedies that can take the edge off these troubling events.  With the action of the herb becoming noticeable withing 20 to 30 minutes or even shorter for liquid herbs.  Certain herbs give some relief within 30 or so minutes and as you continue to take them every day, their effect increases to a maximum level at about three weeks - great for long term issues and constant stress.

Sometimes it isn't obvious if you are suffering depression, anxiety or stress (or a combination) so we have a simple questionnaire that works this out for us.  With a few other quick and easy tests completed, we can work out the perfect natural medicine to suit what you are going through.

Make an appointment with me today at one of my Gold Coast clinics near you.  Don't suffer any longer.  Love, Romi x x x

Is Candida a Legitimate Medical Condition?

At a gathering recently, I learned that a number of people in one family had been medically diagnosed with chronic systemic mucocutaneous candidiasis – a whole body infection of candida, infecting the skin and mucous membranes.  Candida is a fungus.

So it is a real disease and the above diagnosis is a severe form of the condition.  Many of you may have a milder form of candida which always starts in the digestive tract.  We have a normal number of candida organisms in our digestive tract and what we consume and how we live can increase these numbers.

How can you tell if you have Candida?

Common symptoms are bloating, fatigue, irritability, cravings, pms, skin problems, other infections and many other symptoms.

Antibiotic use, sugary foods, prescription medication, white flour foods, alcohol and poor digestive enzyme production can easily cause an over proliferation of candida micro-organisms.

Is there a test to see if I have candida?

Yes, a scientific test has been developed which only requires a small finger prick sample of blood and your results are available during your Naturopathic appointment.  An easy to follow treatment plan is then arranged for you to get your energetic and vibrant health back.

No super restricted diets and no impossible regimes to follow.  We now have natural medicines that are powerful enough to eradicate the candida overgrowth and restore the normal balance to your system.

Phone or email me now to book your appointment and your candida blood test - 04 2121 8469
romiprana@hotmail.com

By now, you've heard it everywhere—the long list of reasons to quit sugar. 
A few of the most compelling are:

• Sugar creates an addictive cycle of hunger, fatigue and moodiness. It initially spikes blood sugar, causing us to feel energized and happy. But since it's devoid of real nutrition, blood sugar quickly plummets, leaving us tired, hungry and moody. So we reach for more sugar ... 
• Sugar causes excess storage of fat: It triggers the body to produce insulin, which tells fat cells to store more. Yikes!
• Sugar causes inflammation. This causes pain and is seen as a precursor to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The good news is that it takes only five days to dramatically reduce the body’s dependence on sugar, by eliminating refined sugar from your diet. That includes most processed foods (because they contain loads of added sugar), condiments, candy, baked goods and sweetened beverages, including those with artificial sweetners. Also watch out not to overindulge in fruit – aim for no more than 1 serving a day. 
The downside is that sugar cravings can be intense in those 5 days, which is why you need ninja moves. Certain foods can reduce cravings and balance the body, getting you over the hump much easier.
Here’s what to eat to detox from sugar and stay satisfied & sane:
1. High protein, fat and fiber foods
Here’s why they're great: They're highly satisfying and keep the body full for longer. Make sure every meal and snack contains them. Contrary to popular belief, real saturated fat actually reduces cholesterol.
Good options: eggs, nuts, avocados, olive oil, hummus, salmon or antibiotic free chicken.
2. Green leafy vegetables instead of bread, pasta and refined carbohydrates
Here’s why they're great: Bread is quickly converted to sugar, creating the same cycle, but vegetables are complex carbohydrates, which keep you satiated for hours. They take longer to digest – expect to feel full 30 minutes after eating a salad.
Good options: Arugula and kale are great for detoxing.
3. Sour foods
Here’s why: They knock out a sugar craving.
Good options: Sauerkraut or kimchi. 
4. Pure dark chocolate 
Here’s why: It releases endorphins without spiking your sugar.
Good options: Bakers Cooking Chocolate, which is 100% cacao.
5. Drink more water
Here’s why: This makes you feel full and flushes excess sugar out of the body, thus reducing the craving. Bonus, it can help you lose weight. 
I hope this helps. For a guided detox complete with meal plans try my Energy Detox Plan for two weeks -
Email me at romiprana@hotmail.com

  Your body has tight control over your acid alkaline balance.  This is so necessary, as one point above or below normal in your blood means you will die.  I kid you not.  If your body is building up acids, these cannot be transported through the blood, so your blood dumps these acids into the fluid mediums such as saliva and joint spaces.

Our whole world and lifestyle conspires to creating excess acidity.  From our diet, to pollution, our water, stress and thousands of other elements.  There are only five things that allow us to alkalize adequately – Rest, Relaxation, Fruit, Vegetables and Minerals.

Rest is 8 hours of deep uninterrupted sleep each night, with some of that time before midnight.

Relaxation times are the fun, calm activities you do such as yoga, throw a Frisbee, non-competitive fun things.

Fruit is alkalizing, even though some have obvious acids such as citric acid in oranges and lemons.  These organic acids are used in the Energy Cycle of the body and the remaining ash is alkaline.

Vegetables are very alkalizing and I recommend you choose potato, sweet potato and pumpkin over grain carbohydrates such as wheat, rice, rye, bread, pasta, pastries.  Super acidic and to be avoided are white flour foods such as cakes, biscuits, deserts,  etc.

Protein foods such as egg, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, while acidic do not cause the usual acid problems because the kidneys have a special affinity for protein foods and allow the excretion of these acids to proceed easily.  The same cannot be said for the acids remaining from the digestion of grain foods.  Increasing vegetables and decreasing grain based foods is so beneficial in assisting the acid alkaline balance of the body.

You can monitor your saliva pH using pH paper which is available with a guide booklet for only $22.50.  You will experience greater vitality and reduce any painful conditions dramatically.

For purchases and more information, contact Romi on 07 5554 5661 or romiprana@hotmail.com

As a Naturopath, I receive a lot of information about how our food is grown and processed.

Sometimes I think to myself that ignorance is bliss when I read some of these articles.

Firstly I'll give you the latest findings from the US on which foods are best purchased organic and those that are possibly acceptable that are not organic. Then following this, I'll reveal an article on the process mandarines go through to extend their shelf life.

Many of us cannot afford to buy everything organic, but some things I will only buy organic, such as the kale I put in my green smoothie.  If it has a protective skin like a banana or avocado, I'll often buy these from the supermarket.

There is a lot you can do to preserve your good health and food selection is only one of them.  For more help with your health concerns, please make an appointment to see me soon.

Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) annual Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce.2

Of the 48 different fruit and vegetable categories tested by the EWG for the 2013 guide, the following 15 fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organically:

Apples
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot peppers
Nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet bell peppers
Kale
Collard greens
Summer squash 

In contrast, the following foods were found to have the lowest residual pesticide load, making them the safest bet among conventionally grown vegetables. Note that a small amount of sweet corn and most Hawaiian papaya, although low in pesticides, are genetically engineered (GE). If you’re unsure of whether the sweet corn or papaya is GE, I’d recommend opting for organic varieties:

Asparagus
Avocado
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet corn (non-GMO)
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mango
Mushrooms
Onions
Papayas (non-GMO. Most Hawaiian papaya is GMO)
Pineapple
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes

Shelf life of organic mandarins
Conventional mandarins are dipped in a chemical called Dimethoate, an organophosphate pesticide. This chemical is banned in most western countries but has only been suspended in Australia since late 2011 (reference). Demethoate is still allowed in Australia as a post-harvest dip chemical on produce with inedible skins such as mangoes, bananas and citrus fruits. It is also allowed as a pre-harvest chemical on crops such as beans, peas and sweet corn (reference). After being dipped in dimethoate, the mandarins are then sprayed with paraffin wax giving them a 3 week shelf life.

Organic mandarins grown in the Byron Bay hinterland have a much shorter shelf life than conventional mandarins as you are getting fruit grown without chemicals picked straight off the tree. We recommend keeping them in the fridge.